What Jo Kwon's Drag Performances Reveal About Himself and Korean Culture

Jo Kwon, from the band 2AM, has been making tidal waves in Korea recently, thanks to his very fierce, but very frowned upon, cross dressing performances on the new variety show Golden Tambourine. Like several pop icons before him, Jo Kwon frequently blurs the lines between fashion and gender with his performances.

During his solo debut promotions in 2012, Jo Kwon made headlines across the country for his radical creative decision to dance around in 7 inch heels. He bluntly recalled in a press interview the mixed reactions from his team: “Some liked it, some didn’t and some said ‘That’s not right.’”

In the same interview, Jo Kwon remarked that the decision made him feel as though he was “risking [his] life”. Jo Kwon probably meant the comment quite literally: the Jeremy Campbell heels in question are notoriously tricky to walk in, let alone perform intricate choreography in. But the fear-stained statement is reminiscent of Hong Seok-cheon’s brutal blacklisting, succeeding his public outing on TV in 2000. Hong Seok-cheon’s bravery left his career in tatters, while transmitting a frightening message: homosexuality will not be tolerated in Korea’s entertainment industry. Fortunately, Jo Kwon’s gender-bending looks did not lead him to such fate. The Avicii-produced EDM bop “Animal” went on to be a smash, helping to cement Jo Kwon as a solo star in his own right.

But what is it about homosexuality that has Korea’s entertainment industry, and the country in general, so shook? In a nutshell, homophobia is embedded within Korean society due to its connections with both Confucianism and Christianity. Homosexuality controversially goes against the fundamentals of both of these beliefs. Severalchapters of the Bible evidently condemn homosexual relations, leading many Christians to feel exceedingly unforgiving regarding homosexuality.

Meanwhile, Korea’s Confucian philosophy is concentrated on the idea that social factors, such as age and gender, determine one’s place in society. Therefore, Confucianism’s social harmony is disrupted by homosexuality, as it goes against the traditional essence of ‘the family’ (man, woman, child). Homosexuality creates a double whammy of taboo in Korea – quite simply, its ‘un-Korean’.

Now fast forward to 2017, and the singer is flaunting his flamboyant performative style again on Golden Tambourine (think Lip Sync Battle without the lip sync). Jo Kwon appeared on the show covering international stars Beyoncé and Sia, as well as home-grown talents Ga-in and legendary dance diva Lee Jung-hyun. Not so shockingly, Jo Kwon’s drag looks were not as universally praised as the pop divas he flawlessly impersonated. Here are just a small sample of the top netizen responses to his Beyoncé performance in particular.

He should tone it down.

Can he stop making it so obvious?

I’m grossed out by him now.

The prejudice exuded online is literally visible in the crowd shots of the performance; audience members look on as if the world is falling apart right in front of them, one ass pop and hair flick at a time. But guess what else you can see? Korean girls and guys enthralled by what they are witnessing, immensely cheering on the electric performances of their beloved Jo Kwon in drag. These are probably the same netizens who fired back at the haters with comments like “Leave him alone, let him do what he wants with his life”, and the encouraging proclamation that Jo Kwon should become “the representative drag queen of Korea”. While flattered by such a compliment, this is not about being a drag queen for Jo Kwon:

I think that I’m still lacking in the ability to pull off drag as an artistic form. My job is to sing, not to be a drag queen.

Jo Kwon’s appearances on Golden Tambourine have done nothing to dispel the rumors dancing around the camp singer’s sexuality. Fans have been speculating for years on whether Jo Kwon’s flamboyancy means he is a gay male. The singer has largely remained quiet on the topic and seemingly denies it. Many chose to interpret an ambiguous 2015 Instagram post of his as a rebuttal against the speculation on his sexuality. The post in question depicted a fictitious debate between Jo Kwon and ‘person’, who refused to accept that Jo Kwon liked ‘jjambbong’, a metaphor for ‘female, and instead chose to believe that Jo Kwon preferred ‘jajangmyun’, a metaphor for ‘male’.

However, when asked about why he performs in drag on Golden Tambourine, his explanation was simple: “This is who I am.” Jo Kwon also acknowledged that “there are people who don’t view [his performances] positively.” He reinforced his words with his swansong on the show, a theatrical and very powerful performance of Lady Gaga’s iconic LGBT anthem “Born This Way”. “I was born this way” and “God loves everyone”, Jo Kwon shared on social media about his final performance.

Despite not wanting to join in on the speculations, it’s really tough not to take Jo Kwon’s message as a cryptic admission of his sexuality. This is about as publicly ‘out’ as you can get in Korea’s entertainment industry, which is notoriously harsh to its LGBT celebrities. You can count on one hand the amount of out and proud celebrities Korea currently has – three. Harisu, an actress, singer, and model, is the country’s first transgender celebrity. Movie director Kim Jho Kwang-soo became the first gay man to publicly get married in Korea. Of course, there is also the aforementioned Hong Seok-cheon. There’s also the case of openly gay actor Kim Ji-hoo whose tragic suicide in 2008 was, according to police reports, attributed to the public’s prejudice regarding homosexuality.

It gets better? Nope, it gets worse. Korean stars are regularly dragged on social media if they openly support LGBT rights. It happened when stars shared messages of condolences to the victims of the Orlando shootings, and even celebrating the country’s first gay marriage. Sadly, it’s no wonder why Jo Kwon wouldn’t want to admit anything openly.

Jo Kwon’s performances will be celebrated. He is one of Korea’s bravest performers, one who shines so brightly despite naysayers attempting to dim his light. His time on Golden Tambourine should hopefully inspire Korea’s LGBT community to continue slaying in the face of adversity because, no matter what, God makes no mistakes.

This piece was written by Hasan, aka ‘Becky with the Good Words’, a twenty-*bloop* year old human beiiiiiiiiing from London. 95% of Hasan’s daily thoughts are unashamedly consumed by pop music, and the other 5% is on hair. Interact with Hasan about all things pop on Twitter, or at her own site, sheBOPS.

I just wish everyone can live in Harmony, man. Christians, atheists, jews, LGBT,

There is nothing wrong about any of these things and even if you disagree with some of them, they shouldn’t be this much violence man.

I have friends of all religions, races and sexualities. They all feel misunderstood or misrepresented.

I wish we strived for peace, if we are for one world, there is a world for us all.

RinB

Unfortunately, may religions don’t “believe” there is one world for all and that everyone is equal. Too many religions foster an us vs. eveyone else mentality.

Fiere

Us vs everyone else mentality s in every group I listed up there. Not everyone agrees with that mentality but its in there.

Why do you think we have cases of radical feminism despite many being peaceful?

Like I said, every group feels persecuted or attacked for their beliefs or things that they hold dear to them.

Sometimes it creates horrible acts that scar a movement or an entire sytem.

People are assholes.

llamalova

JoKwon is a beast of a performer, a one of kind, one in a million talent, and he should lauded and applauded. For such a small man, he has balls the size of boulders, and his bravery to get on stage unapologetically and do what he likes, and how he likes it, is admirable beyond words. If he is or isn’t gay, doesn’t even make the list of concerns, to me (and many others) about JoKwon…..is he a good, kind, sweet, loving, caring person? That’s what is most important, and even though I don’t know him personally…..I’ve been following his career since his debut, and that’s what I see and feel when it comes to him, and people who know and love him, have said the same thing. The LGBT community in Korea don’t have time to wait for Korea to catch up with most of the world, because they have their lives to live, NOW! If a people don’t see a change happening, sometimes they have to be that change. I don’t think that JoKwon ever intend to be the change, he just wants to entertain….but if we do see a change in attitude some day soon, I think we can look to both people like JoKwon, and Tony Hong for being major catalysts for that change.

sheBOPS

“his bravery to get on stage unapologetically and do what he likes, and how he likes it, is admirable beyond words.” – exactly!

Roxy ☮

I feel like he keeps hinting on purpose, he wants to be open. Maybe he’s worried about 2AM, JYP, the reaction from society or even that he hasn’t enlisted yet. I think wait until he is discharged and he’ll open up more. Though I could be so wrong! Who cares, he’s great that’s all that matters! Fighting!

Pandabearnanke

Allow me to give a what I’m sure will be very unpopular rebuttal. Whatever Jo Kwon’s sexuality is he deserves to be treated with respect. That’s something that shouldn’t even be have to be stated but it does. But here is the problem with LGBT “rights” and societies tolerance of homosexuality. Living in America I’ve seen what that type of “tolerance” gets you, universities breed these militant LGBT advocates (many of whom are also straight btw) who constantly generate grievances for political reasons in the guise of social justice for money or power. Honestly no different than korean politicians who cynically stoke up anti-japanese sentiment to get votes or cover up some other issue they’d rather not discuss. I’ve read about plenty of conservatives gays who are bullied by the LGBT community because they dont toe the line on liberal politics. Milo Yiannapoulos, need I say more?

In my recent research on Korean society I’ve already come across Megalia and South Korea’s radical feminists.

I want to cite something David Halberstam wrote about Japan. Halberstam wrote that Japan couldn’t afford American style individuality, consumerism and waste because the Japanese lived in a much smaller land with much fewer resources. LGBT rights is one more societal fault line that consumes a society’s energy and resources. With South Korea you’re talking about a nation of 50 million on a very small piece of land with a declining birthrate, the North Korean threat, a extremely competitive, stresssed society and every male has to do military service for 21 months. You take that and you throw in the divisive ideologies of feminism, gay rights and god forbid transgender rights and you’re going to make the whole damn country implode.

So I’m all for gay koreans to be treated with respect and korean celebrities to be allowed to come out without any fuss or harassment or everyone else to be treated with respect. But unfortunately I’ve seen close up what the LGBT “rights” movement is about, in the same way communism wasn’t about workers rights at all, LGBT advocates are not really about the dignity and human rights of a minority group but charlatans who just want money and power. So I wish there was a happy reasonable middle ground but in my experience you give leftist a inch and they take a mile. So excuse me for not wanting the terms “ajussi” and “ajumma” and “oppa” banned by K-SJWs because they promote a patriarchal gender narrative or spicy rice cake shops forced to cater gay weddings or feminists shutting down League of Legends tournaments because there aren’t enough korea female gamers. Slippery slope and all that.

Nation’s bitch face

How can you compare crimes done in name of communism to LGBT protests asking for civil rights peacefully?

sheBOPS

Literally this.

find_nothing_here

So…you’re a homophobe and a sexist.

bigmamat

He sounds like a Republican to me.

find_nothing_here

Pretty much the same then.

kpp718

I don’t doubt what you’ve seen or know, but you’re over generalizing a whole population here.

Milo Yiannopolous gets “bullied”, not because he’s a conservative gay man, but because he’s a white supremacist and a notorious shit starter who sics his dumb fans against anyone he deems to be beneath him, like transgender folks. Lol at “bullied” anyway. He can say what he likes, sure, but that doesn’t mean that he won’t reap the consequences of his words and actions. Maybe people will even start punching him like they’ve been punching Richard Spencer.

Anyway, I can see by that and the rest of your comment that you have no idea wtf you’re talking about. And/or you’re Republican, which seems to mean the same thing these days.

Whatever. He’s a great talent and performer, and I’m glad he’s pushing boundaries.

find_nothing_here

Presentation isn’t the same as sexuality true, but it isn’t the same as gender either.

bigmamat

Jo Kwon doesn’t necessarily have to be homosexual to enjoy dressing as a woman. This is a prime example of straight people trying to determine someone’s sexuality and mixing it up with gender. Best not attempt to speculate on the private stuff and just focus on the public person. Jo Kwon likes to impersonate famous women. He’s darned good at it too. Unlike a lot of drag queens he can sing and dance. He’s the whole package.

Felicity<3

Except it’s not always cishet people looking at a feminine man and thinking he’s gay, tho. I can’t tell you if I’m feminine cause I’m gay or I’m gay because I’m feminine, but what I do know is the two are inherently linked, and trying to separate them is ahistorical and ultimately harmful to gay men.

bigmamat

Of course not but then we aren’t talking here about the gay community who might be seeing Jo Kwon and deriving hope from his presentation that being gay or being a feminine male is not just acceptable but in his case a good thing. We’re talking about the people that cluck their tongues at him and try desperately to “label” him as “other” maybe even a dangerous other. Dangerous to the social order. Dangerous to their idea of what is normal and acceptable behavior for a man. People spend way too much time and emotional energy trying to label and order others in neat little presentations that everyone can understand. People are much more complicated and unique than that. But the human mind seems to want order and consistency and those things just aren’t possible when it comes to people. If we tell ourselves that we should love each other because we are all human and unique then a lot of this confusion goes away. That’s the place we need to get too. It’s an acceptance of ourselves in all of our complicated and unique forms.

RinB

Femininity and cis male homosexuality are inherently linked? I’ve met plenty of gay men who aren’t the least bit effeminate.

Felicity<3

And I’ve met plenty of black people who don’t use African American Vernacular English. Doesn’t mean AAVE isn’t a part of black culture. Overt femininity in men (like what you see in Jo Kwon) is a part of gay culture, because being gay pretty much throws a wrench in fitting any kind of gender roles society tries to fit us into. Being purposefully femme, for some of us, is an act of rebellion and a way to signal who we are to other gay people.

RinB

Except your post wasn’t phrased about a certain type of community. It’s phrased in a way that applies to an individual.

Felicity<3

Then I apologize, cause that’s what I meant

find_nothing_here

I want you to think about the fact that you telling a gay person how to feel about their own gender and presentation.

We’re talking about these things in a historical context: subversion of traditional gender roles, especially the type of drag Jo Kwon is doing, originated in gay and trans communities. Divorcing them completely from those communities is ignoring the struggles and creativity of the people there. It’s an act of erasure.

RinB

And how one person feels is representative of their community as a whole? The OP basically said that being feminine is a trait all homosexuals exhibit. All I responded with is that I know several gay men who are not effeminate at all. They are actually quite masculine. I didn’t tell the OP how he should feel.

I think you are reading into the words femine and masculine. I’m not talking about it as a societal structure, just the character attributes that are traditionally viewed as girly/feminine or manly/masculine.

kpp718

RISE JO KWON RISE

find_nothing_here

But what is it about homosexuality that has Korea’s entertainment industry, and the country in general, so shook?

Do you think about words before you type them? Because you should have thought about this one more.

These reads to me like an shallow analysis about the treatment LGBT+ people in Korea, with few buzzwords and questionable use of AAVE thrown to make it seem “hip.” And Seoulbeats, you really need to get some LGBT+ people on your editing team. As a bi person, seeing the word “homosexual” and “homosexuality” thrown around so liberally with other questionable use of vocabulary (“gay male” for instance) makes me uncomfortable. I’m sure other people would agree with me. It gives the impression of gay people being an interesting science experiment.

Well, in the case the OP cited, wondering if Jo Keon’s flamboyance makes him a “gay male,” discounts the fact that he could identify as female, bisexual, or asexual. There are many alternatives to cis heterosexuality that aren’t homosexuality.

find_nothing_here

No I wasn’t. I was saying that there is better alternative language that makes it sound like your talking about people and not something in a petri dish.

They could have simple used ”gay” instead of ”gay male” for instance. They were discussing rumors, and there are no rumors about Jokwon being ace, obviously.

Felicity<3

No, you cannot

-Signed a flaming homosexual

(Someone could probably explain this a lot better than I could using actual sociolingiuistic terms and concepts, but the word has pretty much been turned into a slur by conservatives. They throw the word around as if we’re debauched animals, not a varied group of human beings beings with a mix of different experiences. There are plenty of words to use instead like SGA (same gender attraction), mlm (men loving men)/wlw (women love women), or gay/lesbian.)